Cédric Vincent

As
a young man, André Guillard wanted to become a vigneron, working the family domaine in the southern end of the
Beaujolais, in the village of Pouilly-le-Monial. Since production was small,
there were only enough resources for André’s father and brother to farm it.
Accepting the situation as it stood, he became a baker, but his dream never
died. At the ripe age of fifty, André was finally given his chance to be part
of the domaine. His grandson, Cédric Vincent, was just a tot, but the two were
quite close. Cédric’s parents were going through a divorce, but early memories
of longing to join his grandfather in the vineyards brought the young Cédric
solace. Today, after completing his advanced studies in enology, Cédric works
side-by-side in the vineyards and the cellar with André, now in his late eighties.
Cédric takes his role at the domaine seriously, while resuscitating ancestral
tradition and his family’s legacy with great heart.

Cédric
farms in the Bas Beaujolais, located in between Villefranche-sur-Saône and
Lyon. This lower half of the region is best known for producing the grapes for
Beaujolais Nouveau. The annual release of the vintage’s first fermentations,
though intended as much-beloved ritual, has devolved over the last thirty years
into an industry of mass-marketed juice of questionable quality. The Bas Beaujolais is rich in clay, and
while it makes a geological break with its granitic northern half (where many
of the great crus are located),
Cédric has used his native land to his advantage. Old vines and low yields are
the keys to his success—two concepts deemed crazy by neighboring vignerons. Cédric is a garagiste in his full glory, with
nothing but his vines, a dirt-floor garage, an old oak press, and oak casks
with which to work. His wines enjoy an intensity and concentration that are rare
even among many of the cru Beaujolais
and represent all that is special in such a young talent. Cédric crafts a
beautiful A.O.C. Beaujolais, and an outstanding Beaujolais Nouveau—a wine of
such depth that it stands to change public perceptions about Nouveau. In the
words of Dixon Brooke, “It’s what you get when you take a good village level terroir and work it as you would a grand cru.” And Kermit adds his two bits
worth, “If you haven’t tasted Vincent’s, you don’t know how good an A.O.C.
Beaujolais can be.”

Technical Information

Wine

Blend

Vine Age

Soil Type

Vineyard Area*

Beaujolais Blanc

Chardonnay

35 - 90 years old

Clay, Limestone, Silica

6.1 ha total

Beaujolais Rouge

Gamay

35 - 90 years old

Clay, Limestone, Silica

6.1 ha total

Beaujolais Nouveau

Gamay

35 - 90 years old

Clay, Limestone, Silica

6.1 ha total

* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Hand-harvested
• Only uses indigenous
yeasts

Beaujolais Blanc:
•Aged and fermented
in stainless steel
•Ages for four
monthsbefore bottling